CMU professors help change street parking rates

“That’s our goal. If it goes above 80, we raise the price to bring it back to 80; if it goes below 80 we lower the price until it gets back up to 80.”Fichman cited SFpark, a project used to improve parking in San Francisco, as an inspiration for the plan to change parking rates at Carnegie Mellon. Fichman also credits assistant professor of operations research and public policy at Heinz College Robert Hampshire for the idea.According to SFpark’s website, the project “collect[s] and distribute[s] real-time information about where parking is available so drivers can quickly find open spaces. To help achieve the right level of parking availability, SFpark periodically adjusts meter and garage pricing up and down to match demand. Demand-responsive pricing encourages drivers to park in underused areas and garages.”More>>